Watertown tops Oakmont for another state crown

Sunday

Nov 18, 2012 at 6:00 AM

Oakmont Regional’s field hockey team, matched against a Watertown club sporting an incredible résumé, battled from start to finish in yesterday’s state Division 2 final, but it wasn’t quite enough. Raiders sophomore Emily Loprete scored midway through the first half, and Watertown’s defense held firm against the Spartans’ determined pressure for a 1-0 victory at Worcester State’s Coughlin Field.

By Craig Holt CORRESPONDENT

Oakmont Regional’s field hockey team, matched against a Watertown club sporting an incredible résumé, battled from start to finish in yesterday’s state Division 2 final, but it wasn’t quite enough.

Raiders sophomore Emily Loprete scored midway through the first half, and Watertown’s defense held firm against the Spartans’ determined pressure for a 1-0 victory at Worcester State’s Coughlin Field.

The championship was the fourth in a row for Watertown, which extended its winning streak to 92 games. The last team to defeat the Raiders (23-0) was Hopkinton in a 2008 state semifinal.

Watertown has beaten Oakmont in three of the last four state finals, including 3-1 last year.

“We’ve started peaking the last couple of games — the girls go out and just play field hockey,” Watertown coach Eileen Donahue said. “The winning streak has not been the focus. It’s a brand new program. We have enough to deal with getting our skill level up and to understand the game.”

The Spartans finished 18-1-3, their last loss coming against Watertown in last year’s title game. Oakmont has won the Central Mass. title three of the last four years.

“Our girls couldn’t have played any better — there isn’t anything that they did wrong at all,” Oakmont coach Leanne Roy said. “They played a hard game and they rifled shots on net. They passed and they went to every ball. That’s what we came here to do. I’m absolutely ecstatic about their performance today.”

The Raiders started strong, pressuring the Spartans virtually nonstop for the game’s first 10 minutes. Oakmont’s defense, led by senior goalie Kayla Costa, held tough.

Watertown eventually punched one in when Loprete, positioned in front of the Spartans’ net, redirected a hit by senior Lauren Sutherland into the goal. The play was initiated by a corner.

Oakmont hung tough the rest of the half but was unable to get off many good shots. The Spartans had two corners in the last 30 seconds and managed to work the ball around the circle both times. Though they were unable to score, their late first-half flurry carried into the second half.

Seniors Amy Grenier and Kristin Aveni led several drives deep into Raiders territory in the second half. Each drive was answered by stellar defense.

“We were aggressive in the second half and I think the girls knew we had 30 minutes left to catch up and try to pull ahead,” Roy said. “I think being here last year helped us. We had confidence coming in. Our girls kept their composure and played really well.”